Screw feed belt

ABSTRACT

A screw feed belt includes an elongated strap and a plurality of positioning rings. The strap is formed with openings that are spaced apart from and aligned with each other. Each of the openings is defined by an annular confining wall, and has a depth measured from top to bottom strap surfaces. Each of the positioning rings is disposed in a respective opening, and has an outer periphery that is integrally connected to the confining wall of the respective opening, and a thickness that is less than the depth of the respective one of the openings so as to form a recess adapted to permit extension of the head portion of a respective screw therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The invention relates to a screw feed belt, more particularly toa screw feed belt which simplifies the screw driving operation byobviating the need for sleeving washers on screws.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] A screw feed belt has been used for gathering and holding aplurality of screws to facilitate the screw driving operation. FIGS. 1and 2 illustrates a conventional screw feed belt 1 which comprises anelongated strap 13 formed with a plurality of pairs of guiding notches11 on two longitudinal sides thereof, and a plurality of aligned andspaced apart positioning holes 12 to permit extension of the shankportions 104 of screws 10 therethrough. Each of the positioning holes 12is defined by a tapering first annular wall 121 that convergesdownwardly, and a second annular wall 122 that extends downwardly fromthe first annular wall 121. The second annular wall 122 has an innersurface formed with a radial inwardly projecting rim 123 (shown in FIG.1). When the screw 10 extends into one of the positioning holes 12, thescrew thread 103 formed on the shank portion 104 of the screw 10 engagesthe rim 123 for positioning the screw 10 in the positioning hole 12.

[0005] However, the conventional screw feed belt 1 is only suitable forholding a screw 10 that has a tapered head portion 102 and that does notrequire a washer for use therewith. When another type of screw thatrequires a washer is to be operated, a plurality of the washers must besleeved one by one on the screws before the screws are held on the screwfeed belt 1. This complicates the screw driving operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to providea screw feed belt which is free of the aforesaid drawbacks of the priorart.

[0007] Accordingly, a screw feed belt of the present invention isadapted for holding a plurality of screws, and comprises an elongatedstrap and a plurality of positioning rings. The elongated strap is madeof a flexible material, and has opposite top and bottom strap surfaces.The strap extends in a longitudinal direction, and is formed with aplurality of openings that extend through the top and bottom strapsurfaces. The openings are spaced apart from each other, and are alignedwith each other in the longitudinal direction. Each of the openings isdefined by an annular confining wall, and has a depth measured from thetop strap surface to the bottom strap surface. The positioning rings aredisposed respectively in the openings. Each of the positioning rings hasan inner periphery and an outer periphery. The inner periphery is formedwith a positioning hole that is adapted to permit extension of the shankportion of a respective one of the screws and that is adapted to be infrictional contact with the shank portion of the respective one of thescrews. The outer periphery is integrally connected to the confiningwall of the respective one of the openings. Each of the positioningrings further has opposite top and bottom ring surfaces, and a thicknessmeasured from the top ring surface to the bottom ring surface. Thethickness of each of the positioning rings is less than the depth of therespective one of the openings so as to form a recess between the topring surface and the top strap surface. The recess is adapted to permitextension of the head portion of the respective one of the screwstherein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Other features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent in the following detailed description of the preferredembodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

[0009]FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a conventional screwfeed belt;

[0010]FIG. 2 is a fragmentary schematic view of the conventional screwfeed belt;

[0011]FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the first preferredembodiment of a screw feed belt according to the present invention;

[0012]FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the first preferredembodiment;

[0013]FIG. 5 is a fragmentary schematic view of the second preferredembodiment of a screw feed belt according to the present invention; and

[0014]FIG. 6 is a fragmentary schematic view of the third preferredembodiment of a screw feed belt according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the first preferred embodiment of ascrew feed belt 2 according to the present invention is shown to beadapted for holding a plurality of screws 20. Each of the screws 20 hasa shank portion 202 and a head portion 201 on one end of the shankportion 202. The screw feed belt 2 comprises an elongated strap 21 and aplurality of positioning rings 24. The elongated strap 21 is made of aflexible material, such as plastic, is formed with a plurality of pairsof guiding notches 23 on two longitudinal sides thereof, and hasopposite top and bottom strap surfaces 210, 211. The strap 21 extends ina longitudinal direction, and is formed with a plurality of openings 25that extend through the top and bottom strap surfaces 210, 211. Theopenings 25 are spaced apart from each other, and are aligned with eachother in the longitudinal direction. Each of the openings 25 is definedby an annular confining wall 251, and has a depth measured from the topstrap surface 210 to the bottom strap surface 211.

[0016] The positioning rings 24 are disposed respectively in theopenings 25. Each of the positioning rings 24 has an inner periphery 241and an outer periphery 242. The inner periphery 241 is formed with apositioning hole 22 having a plurality of radial slits 240 that extendradially and outwardly from the inner periphery 241. The positioninghole 22 is adapted to permit extension of the shank portion 202 of arespective one of the screws 20, and is adapted to be in frictionalcontact with the shank portion 202 of the respective one of the screws20. The outer periphery 242 is integrally connected to the confiningwall 251 of the respective one of the openings 25. Each of thepositioning rings 24 further has opposite top and bottom ring surfaces243, 244 (shown in FIG. 4), and a thickness measured from the top ringsurface 243 to the bottom ring surface 244. Preferably, the bottom ringsurface 244 is flush with the bottom strap surface 211. The thickness ofeach of the positioning rings 24 is less than the depth of therespective one of the openings 25 so as to form a recess 26 between thetop ring surface 243 and the top strap surface 210. The recess 26 isadapted to permit extension of the head portion 201 of the respectiveone of the screws 20 therein, as best illustrated in FIG. 4. During ascrew driving operation, the shank portion 202 of the screw 20 isaxially rotated into a workpiece 200 by a screw driving machine (notshown) such that the head portion 201 of the screw 20 exerts a strongshearing force on the positioning ring 24, thereby quickly separatingthe positioning ring 24 from the elongated strap 21. The positioningring 24 is now clamped between the head portion 201 of the screw 20 andthe workpiece 200 to serve as a washer for the screw 20. Thus, theadditional step of sleeving a washer on the screw 20 in advance of thedriving operation can be obviated. At the same time, when the screw 20is positioned on the workpiece 200 and presses against the positioningring 24, the latter has sufficient space for deformation due to thepresence of the radial slits 240 in the positioning hole 22. As such,the bottom ring surface 244 of the positioning ring 24 can be maintainedto lie flat against the workpiece 200 after the driving operation,thereby firmly securing the screw 20 on the workpiece 200.

[0017] Referring to FIG. 5, the second preferred embodiment of a screwfeed belt 3 according to the present invention is shown to besubstantially similar to the first preferred embodiment. Particularly,the screw feed belt 3 comprises an elongated strap 31 formed with aplurality of pairs of guiding notches 33 on two longitudinal sidesthereof and further formed with a plurality of spaced apart and alignedopenings 35, and a plurality of positioning rings 34 disposedrespectively in the openings 35 to define a plurality of positioningholes 32 for extension of screws 30 therein. However, in thisembodiment, an outer periphery 342 of each of the positioning rings 34is formed with a plurality of angularly spaced apart perforations 340such that the positioning rings 34 can be easily separated from thestrap 31 during the screw driving operation.

[0018] The third preferred embodiment of a screw feed belt 4 accordingto the present invention is shown in FIG. 6 to be substantially similarto the first preferred embodiment. The main difference lies in that theradial slits 440 in each of the positioning holes 42 gradually divergein radial outward directions so that the bottom ring surface of each ofthe positioning rings 44 in the elongated strap 41 can be maintained tolie flat against a workpiece after the screw driving operation, therebysecuring firmly each of the screws 40 on the workpiece.

[0019] The screw feed belt 2, 3, 4 of the present invention is suitablefor holding screws 20, 30, 40, such as roofing screws, that requirewashers. Since the positioning ring 24, 34, 44 separates from theelongated strap 21, 31, 41, and is clamped between the head portion ofthe screw 2, 3, 4 and the workpiece after the screw driving operation,an additional washer sleeving operation can be obviated to simplify thescrew driving operation.

[0020] While the present invention has been described in connection withwhat is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it isunderstood that this invention is not limited to the disclosedembodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements includedwithin the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as toencompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

We claim:
 1. A screw feed belt for holding a plurality of screws, eachof the screws having a shank portion and a head portion on one end ofthe shank portion, said screw feed belt comprising: an elongated strapmade of a flexible material and having opposite top and bottom strapsurfaces, said strap extending in a longitudinal direction and beingformed with a plurality of openings that extend through said top andbottom strap surfaces, that are spaced apart from each other and thatare aligned with each other in the longitudinal direction, each of saidopenings being defined by an annular confining wall and having a depthmeasured from said top strap surface to said bottom strap surface; and aplurality of positioning rings disposed respectively in said openings,each of said positioning rings having an inner periphery formed with apositioning hole that is adapted to permit extension of the shankportion of a respective one of the screws and that is adapted to be infrictional contact with the shank portion of the respective one of thescrews, and an outer periphery that is integrally connected to saidconfining wall of the respective one of said openings, each of saidpositioning rings having opposite top and bottom ring surfaces and athickness measured from said top ring surface to said bottom ringsurface, the thickness of each of said positioning rings being less thanthe depth of the respective one of said openings so as to form a recessbetween said top ring surface and said top strap surface that is adaptedto permit extension of the head portion of the respective one of thescrews therein.
 2. The screw feed belt as claimed in claim 1, whereineach of said positioning rings is formed with a plurality of radialslits that extend radially and outwardly from said inner periphery. 3.The screw feed belt as claimed in claim 2, wherein said radial slitsgradually diverge in radial outward directions.
 4. The screw feed beltas claimed in claim 1, wherein said outer periphery of each of saidpositioning rings is formed with a plurality of angularly spaced apartperforations.
 5. The screw feed belt as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidbottom ring surface of each of said positioning rings is flush with saidbottom strap surface.